Eve of the Fae (Modern Fae Book 1)

by E. Menozzi

  I crept down the stairs. Nigel looked up at me as I stepped onto the landing. He grinned, and I returned his smile.

  “Ah, there you are, Evelyn,” my uncle said.

  “Hello,” I said.

  Nigel scrambled up the first few steps and offered me his hand to lead me down to the foyer. “You look lovely,” he said.

  “Thank you,” I said. “So do you.” I lifted my jacket off the hook near the door and slid my arms into the sleeves.

  “Well,” my uncle said, draping an arm around Aunt Vivian’s shoulders. “Your aunt and I have quite a bit of work to do. You two enjoy your evening.”

  “Yes,” my aunt said. “Enjoy your evening.” She slipped her hand around my uncle’s waist and led him down the hall.

  “Your aunt and uncle are rather nice.”

  “Yes, I like them.”

  “And their house is magnificent.” He looked around.

  “I used to be so frightened of this house when I was a child. Everything seemed so big and scary.”

  “Well, it is rather intimidating. It’s hard to believe they can live here, among all this history.”

  “Oh, my uncle lives for the history.”

  “Yes, he mentioned that. He’s a professor, then?”

  I nodded.

  “Well,” he said, “shall we?” He offered me his arm, and I hooked my hand around it.

  We’d just shut the door behind us and stepped out into the entrance when the roar of an engine and a single headlight coming down the drive caught my attention. My heart raced. Liam. I bit my lip. Nigel hadn’t registered this as anything to be alarmed about, and he continued to escort me to his sleek black sports car.

  Liam pulled up and stopped next to the car just as we’d reached the passenger door. He lifted his visor and looked from me to Nigel and back again.

  “Eve?”

  “Hello, Liam!” I forced a casual smile and hoped he didn’t plan on making a scene. “Uncle Oscar will be so glad you’re back.” Nigel had already reached his car. He opened the door for me and stood waiting.

  Liam parked his motorcycle and dismounted. He unfastened his helmet as he walked toward us, shaking out his hair. This was going to be awkward.

  “I don’t believe we’ve met,” he said, narrowing his eyes at Nigel.

  Nigel extended his hand. “Nigel,” he said. “Nigel Strum. And you are?”

  The air around Liam seemed to crackle with tension. Or maybe that was just how it felt to me, caught in the middle. Liam didn’t offer his hand, he just left Nigel standing with his hand suspended in midair, waiting.

  “Eve, did you invite him here?”

  “Of course.” I glared at Liam. “And you’re being rude.”

  Liam stepped between me and Nigel and shut the door to the car.

  “Liam. What are you doing?”

  “You should go,” he said to Nigel.

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” I tried to push Liam out of the way, but he wouldn’t budge. It felt like pushing against a tree trunk, like he was rooted to the earth.

  “Perhaps you should let the lady decide?” Nigel said, his voice dripping with menace. Something about it made me stop pushing against Liam and glance up at Nigel.

  “Do you think you really stand a chance?” Liam asked. I couldn’t believe he was threatening Nigel. This was crazy. He had no claim on me.

  “Liam, stop. What are you doing? We can talk about this later. What’s gotten into you?”

  “I will crush you,” Nigel said. They were both ignoring me at this point, glaring at each other, waiting for the other one to back down.

  “I wouldn’t count on it,” Liam said, taking a half step closer to Nigel.

  “There’s nothing you can do to stop me,” Nigel said.

  I reached between them and tried to get their attention. My hand stretched out of my sleeve, and I felt the cold air bite at my fingers and wrist. Nigel took a step back and Liam half turned to face me. Finally, their eyes were on me and not staring each other down.

  “Where did you get that?” Liam asked.

  I looked up at him, confused. “Get what?”

  Nigel continued to walk backward until his back was against his car.

  “That.” Liam pointed at my wrist and the bracelet Uncle Oscar had given me.

  I shrugged and let my sleeve fall back over the gold band. Nigel took a half step away from his car but otherwise kept his distance.

  “My uncle gave it to me,” I said.

  “Evelyn,” Nigel said. “It appears that things aren’t going to work out for tonight. Perhaps we could do this some other time?”

  I turned to Nigel. “I’m so sorry,” I said. “We can still go to dinner.” I took a step closer to him, but he backed away.

  “No, I think it’s better that I go. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.” He glanced over my shoulder at Liam. “I won’t forget our date, or your invitation.”

  “Leave.” Liam said. “Now.” His voice rumbled and made the hairs on my neck stand on end.

  “I’ll leave, for now. But I’ll be back,” he said.

  “You won’t get past me.”

  Nigel walked around the front of his car and opened the driver’s side door. “We shall see,” he said before sliding inside and shutting the door behind him. The engine roared to life and he shifted the car into gear. I watched his taillights disappear down the drive, then I spun on Liam.

  “What. The. Hell. Was. That?” I stalked toward him. “One kiss and you think you get to act all possessive? You don’t own me. What do you think you’re doing, acting all macho and chasing him off like that?”

  He stepped backward. “It has nothing to do with you.”

  “The hell it doesn’t. We had a date.” What had happened to that kind, sensitive guy who’d offered to share his job with me? Where did he get off acting like he had any right to butt in?

  He snorted. “Oh, you had a date. Do you have any idea who he is?”

  I shrugged. “I know him at least as well as I know you.”

  “But your aunt and uncle know me. Do they know who he is? And you invited him here! What were you thinking?”

  “How bad could it be? It’s not like he’s a thief, or a land developer, or something. What’s wrong with inviting him here?” I put my hands on my hips and stared at him.

  Liam just shook his head and walked toward his motorcycle. “You have no idea.”

  “Then tell me. If you know him, tell me who he is and why it should matter that I was going to dinner with him.”

  Liam kicked his kickstand up and began rolling his motorcycle toward the carriage house. He shook his head. “I don’t know him.”

  “Then what was that scene all about?” I stalked after him.

  “Just go inside, Eve,” he said over his shoulder.

  I jogged ahead of him and turned to face him when he stopped in front of the carriage house door. “I’m not going inside until you tell me what in the hell is going on.”

  “Open the door, then,” he said, nodding toward the carriage house.

  I lifted the handle and held the door open for him.

  “And I want to know why you think you get to act like that after one kiss,” I added as he slipped past me.

  I followed him to the back of the carriage house. He parked his motorcycle against the back wall and hung his helmet from the handlebars. Then he spun to face me. “First”—he took a step closer to me—“it was more than one kiss.” He was standing close enough that I could feel the heat of him. “Second, I told you, what happened out there had nothing to do with you.”

  “So you just met this person and instantly have some grudge against him that has nothing to do with me, even though I’m about to go on a date with him and you say you don’t know him.” I pushed my hand against his chest. “And what difference does it make how many kisses there we
re when you were the one who left without saying goodbye.”

  Liam shook his head. “I may not know him, but I know his kind, and his kind are not welcome here.”

  “His kind? You mean well-dressed, educated gentlemen who have manners and are about to take me to dinner?”

  “You want to go to dinner? I’ll take you to dinner. For the last time, this has nothing to do with you.”

  “I find that hard to believe.” I placed my hands on my hips.

  He took a step closer to me and lowered his voice. “I’m gone for one day, and you manage to walk directly into the arms of the most dangerous bloke around. I must say, that’s quite a talent.” He ran his fingers down my cheek.

  I narrowed my eyes and scowled at him.

  “It’s too bad I ruined your date. You look lovely.”

  I pressed my hands against his chest to shove him away, but he placed his hands over mine and stepped closer. “I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye. My mother’s dying.”

  I closed my eyes and my chin dropped to my chest. His words drained the anger from me. Uncle Oscar had said Liam’s mother was sick. I had no idea it was that bad.

  Liam’s fingers lifted my chin until I met his eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” I said.

  “You didn’t know.” He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine.

  The wall I’d built up to resist her broke when her lips parted under mine. I knew I should push her away, but my body wouldn’t obey, and my arms tugged her closer. She had no idea that she’d just exposed herself and her family to danger by letting the worst kind of predator in the front door. I didn’t want to spook her, and she probably wouldn’t believe me anyway. But her invitation put a gaping hole in my protection spells and now he could come back at any time.

  I pulled back from the kiss to catch my breath and listened with my enhanced hearing for any sound that might let me know that git had returned. Hearing nothing, I focused my attention back on Evelyn and slid my hand down her arm to her wrist. The gold band warmed under my touch.

  “Oscar gave you this?” I asked.

  “This afternoon,” she said. “He said it belonged to—”

  “Godda,” I said.

  “Yes. How’d you know? Uncle Oscar said that she was the wife of one of his ancestors, and William the Conqueror gave it to her as a wedding present.”

  I nodded. “Godda and Edric. Their story is infamous around here.” I left off how they were the reason for my presence at Lydbury.

  “He also said he’d found a room in the cellar that he’d forgotten to tell you about.”

  “And did you tell any of this to that—” I wanted to say “creature,” but I stopped myself. She was in my arms, and calm. I didn’t want to see that anger return to her face. So I forced myself to remember his name. “Nigel?” I grimaced.

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “Good,” I said. So, other than the bracelet, he didn’t know what artifacts Oscar had here. But he could return now as he pleased because he’d been invited, and my protection spells would no longer keep him out. To be safe, I needed to take a large bag of salt and distribute it around the perimeter of the property, and the sooner the better. Then, if he returned, at least he wouldn’t be able to bring the army of spirits under Edric’s command with him. But first, I wanted a closer look at that bracelet.

  “Can I look at it?”

  She nodded. The carriage house was dark, but I held her wrist up until the bracelet caught some of the moonlight filtering through the windows. Carvings. I couldn’t read the inscription in the dim light. I let a little of my magic surface to my fingertips and placed them on the thick band. An echo of magic coursed back through me. I would need to read the carvings to better understand, but it didn’t feel like Edric. This wasn’t the artifact I needed. I’d never be that lucky, especially with a bracelet that had belonged to Godda. Edric wouldn’t have anchored himself to something of hers, and certainly not a gift from someone he saw as a rival.

  “It’s beautiful,” I said, certain she had no idea what she wore on her wrist. “It suits you.” I cupped my hand around her cheek so my thumb was caressing her cheekbone.

  “I’m so sorry about your mother, Liam,” she said. “Is there any chance she might get better? Is that why you returned?”

  “She’s all right for now. But I’ll need to go back soon.” My promise to my family and the search for the artifact had to be my priority. Everything, including Evelyn’s safety, relied on my success. Still, I couldn’t very well continue my search tonight, and she was already in my arms. Against my better judgment, I slid one arm inside her open jacket and around her waist so I could pull her closer to me.

  She placed both hands on my chest to hold us apart. “Tell me you didn’t chase him off just because you were jealous,” she said.

  “I’m not going to tell you that I was happy to see you were going to dinner with some other bloke, but that wasn’t why I chased him off.” The pressure of her hands on my chest turned to something softer, more like a caress.

  She tilted her head to one side. “Will you tell me why you chased him off, if that wasn’t the reason?”

  I cringed. “I will, but first I’d rather do this…” I bent my head down until my lips were pressed lightly against her neck. I began kissing just below her earlobe. As my lips traveled across her skin, I slid my hand from her cheek until it was cupping her long neck. Her scarf was in my way, and I pulled at it until it came free and fluttered to the ground. My lips continued down, moving along her collarbone, then up the other side to the opposite earlobe.

  She moaned and clutched folds of my leather jacket to pull me closer. Sliding my hands around her waist and up, under her sweater, I stretched my fingers across her lower back, savoring the soft skin that warmed to my touch. My lips found her mouth and our tongues entwined as I guided her backward until she was leaning against the Land Rover.

  Pressed between me and the car, she reached up and unzipped my jacket, running her hands across my chest, then down around my waist. Her fingers pulled at my shirt until it came untucked, and she slid her hands up underneath, pressing her palms against my skin. I nibbled at her lip and slid my hands down until they were cupping her firm ass. Then I hiked her up until her legs lifted off the ground and she wrapped them around me. My hips ground into her, pressing her body against the metal of the Rover, as my lips traveled down her neck again.

  This. This was what I’d been wanting to do since I first saw her.

  “Liam.” She sighed.

  I moaned against her neck and gripped her more firmly, my fingers digging into her jeans.

  “Liam,” she said again, this time slightly less breathy.

  I turned my head, letting my cheek fall against her collarbone, and waited for my breathing to slow. “Yes?”

  She lifted her arm to run her hand through my hair. “We can’t do this here.”

  “Why not?” I tipped my head back, grasped her lower lip between mine, and sucked on it. She tangled her fingers in my hair and parted my lips with her tongue, deepening the kiss. Before long we were both breathing hard again.

  She pulled back, letting her forehead rest against mine while she caught her breath. The puffs of air condensed in small clouds that merged with mine.

  She started giggling. “It’s freezing out here.”

  “Am I not keeping you warm enough?” My hands skimmed up her hips and under her sweater.

  “Yes,” she breathed.

  “Yes, I’m keeping you warm enough?” I held her close and teased her mouth with mine.

  “Yes,” she said again.

  I tugged at the hem of her sweater, inching it up.

  “No,” she said. “Not here.”

  “All right, then.” I lifted her, placing her on her feet for a moment before scooping her into my arms.

  “Where are you taking me?”
she asked, looking up at me.

  “Inside,” I said.

  She squirmed in my arms, trying to get down. “You can’t just carry me in the front door.”

  “I wasn’t planning on it.”

  I carried her around the back of the house to the mudroom entrance. Then I lowered her to the ground, keeping one arm wrapped around her waist. The door was locked, but I fixed that problem with a little bit of magic. So, when I reached for the knob, it turned freely, and we slipped inside.

  “This is your master plan? Sneaking in through the mudroom?” she whispered. I shrugged out of my jacket and lifted hers from her shoulders.

  “Shh.” I grabbed her hand and led her through the kitchen, pausing to listen at the door leading to the back stairs. Then I lifted her onto my back, pushed through the door, and started climbing.

  “You’re crazy,” she whispered into my ear.

  “You make me crazy.” It was the truth. I was bargaining with fate. One night. Tomorrow I’d use my magic to find and destroy the artifact. Then I’d go after Edric or die trying. But tonight, this was all I wanted.

  “They’re going to notice when I don’t come home,” she whispered.

  “They’ll never notice.” They wouldn’t, even if I had to use my magic to make sure they didn’t. I passed the landing leading to the family wing and kept going, all the way up to my room in the attic.

  I set her down inside the door and turned to close it behind us.

  “It’s… different than I remember,” she said, wandering into the middle of the room and turning in a slow circle.

  “Yeah. I moved things around a little.” I leaned against the door and watched her explore my space. She walked over to a statue I’d set on top of a low bookshelf near my bed. It had been in a dark, forgotten corner of the attic, near where I’d found the gargoyles.

  She ran her hand over the statue’s wings and tilted her head to the side. I crept across the room until I was standing behind her.